-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When I was young , one of my best friends lived in my grandmother 's village . I saw Chrissie every weekend as we made our way through childhood -- she in the village school and I in the town school . We finally came together as students in secondary school .

Sadly , Chrissie studied with me for only one term , as her parents could not afford the school fee of $ 6 . She returned to her village , married early and had more than a half-dozen children . She lives there still , locked in poverty . My parents , on the other hand , could afford the school fees , and I was lucky enough to finish my schooling and eventually to run a successful business . Now , I am president of Malawi .

On Wednesday , I take the floor of the U.N. General Assembly as the second female president of an African country , and one of about 14 in the world , I am honored to bring my message of hope for Malawi and for Africa to the world .

When I travel through my country and talk to the people , I see myself and Chrissie in the children I meet , who are bursting with intelligence and creativity and joy . But when I take the stage at the United Nations to represent my country , I also represent the parents of Malawi 's children , the women who fear the dangers of giving birth and the men who search desperately to find work to pay for their families ' basic needs .

The bad news about Malawi is not news to anyone . About 85 % of Malawians live in rural villages in extreme poverty ; AIDS and malaria are rampant . A single crop failure can ruin so many . These development challenges are intertwined in the lives of Malawians , and we must fight for progress on many fronts if we are to lift my country from poverty .

The journeys of women in my country -- and in countries all over the developing world -- are never easy . The health of our women in particular is central to many of our development challenges , and is an issue to which I have been devoted since I almost lost my life delivering my fourth child . It was only because I was fortunate enough to have access to a specialist in a hospital that I am alive today .

Last year , I visited a hospital where a baby had just died . Born in the dark of night with no electricity , that child had the cord wrapped around her neck and no one had seen it . In clinics I see women waiting to give birth on the floors of the corridors because there is no other place .

When I took office , I launched the Presidential Initiative for Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood , a project that I hope will reverse the poor access to reproductive health services for women in my country . Our girls , 15 - and 16-year-olds , are having children themselves ; they should be going to school , and we must support them and provide them with family planning education .

When we empower women with education and access to reproductive health services , we can lift an entire nation . Women who can choose when to have children and how many they will have are more likely to complete their education , start small businesses and participate actively in society . And as I witnessed with my friend Chrissie , education itself is vital to give women that choice in the first place . This is why efforts to improve the lives of women and children reinforce efforts to strengthen our economy and reduce poverty .

After the speeches of the world leaders are over , the U.N. General Assembly will come together to determine how it will tackle poverty and set benchmarks to measure progress in economic development . I will do everything I can to make sure that women 's reproductive health remains a central focus .

We can not afford to squander the potential of girls such as Chrissie any longer .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joyce Banda .

@highlight

Childhood friend of Malawi President Joyce Banda had to drop out of school

@highlight

Chrissie 's family could n't pay for school , Banda says , so now she lives in poverty with kids

@highlight

Banda : In Malawi , girls often give birth and have no health care

@highlight

Banda calls for education , access to birth control to lift families out of poverty